Breaking eggs by grinding the shell and separately cutting the membrane



G. F. HODSON June 15, 1948.

BREAKING EGGS BY enmmue THE saw; mm

SEPARATELY cu'r'nue THE MEMBRANE 1Q Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 8, 1944 G. F. HODSON BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE 5 June 15, 1948.

HELL AND ssnnmmnz cu'r'rme m: MEMBRANE 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 8, 1944 1111i!!! llllllllllllllll 5 G. F. HUDSON BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING T June 15, 1948.

' as sum. AND

ssnnurnu cuw'rme THE unuaamn 1O Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed m 8, 1944 r A k mm UM? 4: 3. II. 1 1 d. .W. \h? 9 EN N /U Rf nu: k? a M \Q n? .H .mm w T a r y 1Q Sheets-Shoot 4 ELL AND G. F. HODSON BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE SH SEPARATELY CUTTING THE MEMBRANE 0 0 0 YM o F 9% m 0 3 O 0 j 0 0 3 0 0 0 Y 8X 0 6 W111? O O n =6 i O O O 0 0 0 Juhel5,1948.

Filed May 8, 1944 June 15, 1948. HQDSQN 2,443,188

BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE SHELL AND SEPARATELY cu'r'rme THE MEMBRANE Filed May 8, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 G. F. HODSON June 15, 1948.

BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE SHELL AND SEPARATELY CUTTING THE MEMBRANE Filed New 8, 1944 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 n J 3 N w v a G m n lal n 1| Inn n HH IH HHHH .0 v \u a W Z are G. F. HODSON 2,443,188 BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE SHELL AND SEPARATELY CUTTING THE MEMBRANE June 15, 1948.

10 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed May 8, 1944 June 15, 1948. cs. F. HODSON 2,443,188

BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE SHELL A SEPARATELY CUTTING THE MEMBRANE 10 Sheets Shaet 8 Filed May 8. 1944 G. F. HODSON BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE SHELL AND June 15, 1948.

SEPARATELY CUTTING THE MEMBRANE l0 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed May 8, 1944 June 15, 1948. e. F. HoDsoN 2,443,188

BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE SHELL AND SEPARATELY CUTTING THE MEMBRANE Filed lay a, 1944 10 sheets-sheer 10 660796 Fjfaaaam Patented June 15, 1948 BREAKING EGGS BY GRINDING THE SHELL AND SEPARATELY CUTTING THE MEM- BRANE George F. Hodson, Altus, kla., assignor to Wilson & Company, Inc., a corporation of Dela- Application May 8, 1944, Serial No. 534,552

10 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an egg breaking process and more particularly to a method by which eggs may be automatically broken and their contents sorted. In the past difficulty has been experienced in devising automatic methods for breaking eggs. This is largely due to the fact that each egg must be individually handled and its contents individually tested after breaking in order that all spoiled eggs may be disposed of without contaminating any part of the system.

The present method makes it possible to handle each egg by itself, each egg being individually advanced in predetermined axial alignment transverse to its direction of motion. The egg is then grasped in a pair of flexible cups, one at each end of the egg, wherein it is centered and firmly seated, a vacuum is established in each cup, the shell is scored about its circumference, preferably after being cleaned and sterilized in that region, the egg is separated slightly on the score line and the membrane out, after which the shells are emptied of their contents individually by being separated while held under the vacuum in the cups. The contents of each egg are caught in an egg cup which is individusually tested, after which the whites and yolks may be separated in the usual manner, and the shells discharged.

In carrying out the process each element in the system is readily adapted for instantaneous cleaning in the event of breakage of an egg or in the event that one of the eggs should turn out to be spoiled. The apparatus for carrying out the process is or will be the subject matter of other applications. I

The invention is illustrated in the drawings in which Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 together represent a side elevation partially in section of an apparatus suitable for carrying out the invention of the process, Fig. 2 adjoining Fig. 1 on its right-hand side; Figs. 3 and 4 represent plan views of the machine corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2, respectively; Fig. 5 is a detailed plan view partly in section of one of the egg gripping devices; Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation through the egg feeding means, taken along the line 6-6 in Fig. 9; Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the egg saddies and the conveying chain; Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 in Fig. '7; Fig. 9 is a-detailed side elevation partly in section of the egg carrying apparatus, shown on a mailer scale in Fig. 1; Fig; 10 is a sectional view taken along the line i0l0 in Fig. 17; Fig. 11 is a side sectional elevation of the cup adjusting mechanism; Fig. 12 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 11 and taken along the line l2-i2 of Fig. 11; Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional elevation showing guides 80, stone iii, and carriage 82; Fig. 14 is an enlarged side sectional elevation of the membrane cutting mechanism; Fig. 15 is a transverse sectional elevation of the knife assembly taken along line l5l5 of Fig. 14; Fig 16 is an enlarged side elevation of the knives taken along line iB-IG of Fig. 15; Fig. 17 is a transverse elevation partly in section taken along the line Ii-l'l in Fig. 5; Fig. 18 is a detailed longitudinal elevation showing the chain- H2 upon which the egg cups I02 are mounted; Fig. 19 is a detailed end view of the cam follower arm I33 taken along line iii-l9 of Fig. 1'7; Fig. 20 is a detailed sectional elevation taken along the line 2il--20 in Fig. 3; Fig. 21 is a detailed transverse elevation of the egg receiving cup H4; Fig. 22 is an enlarged plan view of the egg cup path; Fig. 23 is an enlarged plan view of the egg scoring mechanism; Fig. 24 is a sectional view taken on line 2424 of Fig. 23; and Fig. 25 is an enlarged sectional view through the vacuum cup mechanism.

As shown in the drawings, the eggs are introduced into the system by a dual screw feedv Iii between which the eggs are advanced in the path ll defined between the two screws. The screw thread l2 has a variable pitch so that the eggs are accelerated in motion as they advance. The eggs E are aligned with their long axes transverse to the direction of movement and only the ends of the egg are engaged by the screw threads. The egg is rolled along a pair of guide rails ll, preferably of hard rubber. The path is preferably inclined upwardly so that the egg is positioned positively by contact with the screw threads and at the same time has no tendency to develop momentum.

At the top of the screw feed the eggs are passed individually to saddles II which are maintained at predetermined distances on chains it and H which are suitably of the bicycle chain type. The saddle comprises two fingers l8 and I 9 and the thumb 20 so shaped as to form the egg-shaped retaining zone 2| within which the egg E centrally locates itself, and within which it is held in axial alignment transverse to its direction 01 motion. The saddles are spaced closely enough together that there is not room for an egg to fall between them. The egg saddle chains is and." are mounted on sprocket wheels 22 and 23, respectively. It will be noted that chain I1 is mounted to the side of and above chain it and and 25, respectively.

3 the entire cup is carried between the two chains. Furthermore, the diameter of the wheels 22 and 23 is large enough to permit the saddle to pass upright between the chains and the shafts 24 Because of its method of attachment, the egg saddle is always in vertical position, at all points upon the chain orbit. The wheels 22 and 23 are synchronized with the wheels 26 which drive the screws Ill so that a saddle l3 rises into egg receiving position at the end of the rails l4 at the appropriate time to receive an egg. The thumb rises between the 'rails l4 and lifts the eggs therefrom.

The eggs, properly oriented in their respective saddles. are carried forward and are grasped at each end by a flexible suction cup 30, best shown in Figs. and 10. The cups are carried on platforms 33 pivotally mounted in pairs on shafts 3| mounted between a pair of chains 32, one at each end of the shaft. The platform is enlarged at one side to form a sleeve 34 which fits loosely about the shaft 3|, and at the other to form a sleeve 35 which forms a bearing surface for the hollow shaft 38. The shaft 33 carries the suction cup to at its inner end and the roller 31 at its outer end.

The suction cup is made of some flexible material such as rubber. It comprises an egg engaging portion 38 having suitably beveled inner walls 33 which terminate in a feather edge. A perforated metal plate 33a carried by the perforated hollow guide rod 33b separates the eg engaging portion from the suction chamber 40. The rod 33b extends into the shaft 36. The suction chamber communicates through the hollow shaft with a check valve 4| carriedin one arm of the roller 31, and with a vacuum relief valve 42 in the other arm ofthe roller 31. The valve 4| serves to vent any pressure which may accumulate in the suction chamber, and the valve 42 may be set to open upon any given vacuum, in order to limit the vacuum which may be'created within the suction chamber.

The platform 33 also carries a stop 43 which bears upon the slide area 44 of the next adjacent platform and serves to limit the downward movement of the cup 30. The shaft 3| is provided with a suitable pin 45 for limiting the inward movement 01 the platform 33. A spring 46 is provided in connection'with' each platform and normally urges the platform toward the center of the shaft under a suitable pressure which is not sufllcient to crush the eggs. pressure will be in the neighborhood of 4 lbs.

The platforms 33 also carry a depending shoulder portion 41 to which is secured the leaf spring 47a which normally urges the platform 33 in a downward direction. The platform 33 also carries the cam roller 33!! which functions to position the platform laterally, as will be later described. 1 I

As shown in Fig. 11, a V belt 30 of rubberized material is carried by wheels 5! above the saddle carrying mechanism. The belt 50 is provided with suillcient slack that under the conditions of operation it will contact the upper surfaces of any egg as it passes beneath the central portions of the belt. The belt travels at the same speed as the egg and is held in contact with it by the pulleys 32 and 53 which rest upon the upper side of the V belt. Each pulley is connected by a linkage assembly 54 to a platform 55. This linkage includes the pulley arm 36 secured to shaft 51 carrying the crank arm 53 to which the toggle arm 59 is pivotally secured; The arm 59 is like- Normally this wise pivotally secured to the crank arm 33 (twice as long as the arm 33) on the shaft 3! also carrying the arm 62 pivotally secured at 63 to the stud 34 of the platform 63. As a result of this linkage, any upward movement of the pulleys l3 and 52 results in a corresponding upward movement of the platform half as great.

The roller 31 is in contact with the upper surface of the platform 55 and, as a result,each vacuum cup 30 is individually adjusted vertically in accordance with variations in the position of the platform 55. Inasmuch as these variations cor-' respond to' half the variations in the diameter of the eggs, they. correspond exactly with the changes in radius of the eggs and, therefore, the vacuum cups may be exactly positioned with respect to the long axis of each individual egg as it reaches gripping position, which is at the point intermediate the pulleys 52 and 53.

The ordinary egg may be assumed to have a diameter of 1 inches and all of the adjustments of the machine may be made upon this basis. However, if other settings are desired, they may be made. The stop 43 on the platform 33 is so positioned of'course that it does not strike the slide area 44 at a position which corresponds to any egg which may pass through the system. In other words, if the smallest egg has a diameter of 1% inches, the stop 43 may be positioned tov strike only when clearance is less than one inch, giving a safety factor of V4 inch.

As an example, if 1 inches has been selected as the normal position, and an egg 1% inches in diameter is carried by a saddle into gripp ng position, will then raise the platform 85 5 8 inch and accordingly center the cups accurately with respect to the ends of the egg.

The chains 32 which carry the vacuum cups 30 are driven by wheels H and guided by wheels 10 and 12 in a triangular course. The cups are of course synchronized with the saddles. At the appropriate time during the course of travel the cam roller 330 engages the cam surfaces I3 and as a result is forced back against the springs 44. As the platforms 33 bearing the cups 33 move in synchronization with an egg in a saddle, they are gradually released by the cam surface 14 (shown in Fig. 12) and permitted to come into the platform 33.

engagement with the egg under the pressure of the spring. At the same time the. egg is held against rotation by the V belt 50 (as shown in Fig. 11) whereas the rollers 31 connectedwith the vacuum cups 33 are rotated by contact with In this way the position of the egg rotates with respect to the flexible grasping portion of the vacuum cup and is firmly seated therein by this motion.

The egg is now firmly held in a pair of vacuum cups and is from this point on carried by them, each individual saddle being carried downwardly by the chains l6 and I1 shortly after the vacuum cups have grasped the egg.

As the eggs arecarried forward the equatorial portion thereof is cleaned by bufling wheels 13 and 16. These wheels employ any suitable light bufling material such as canvas and are rotated at considerable speed. The vacuum cups are at this point free to rotate so that the eggs do slowly revolve and are buffed throughout the equatorial circumference thereof. The buillng wheels may be driven by a motor per 13 may be employed to collect the dirt and other debris brushed from the shells. After leaving the buffers, the equatorial portion of the the V belt will be elevated V4 inch which 11. A dust collecting hopeggs is brought into contact with a narrow gas flame I9 which acts to sterilize the shell of the eggs. Slightly before this, the eggs are engaged by the guides 80 which lift the platforms 33 into the proper position for scoring and at the same time cause the eggs to rotate. These guides are made of hard rubber and converge upwardly to provide a cradle. An elongated stone 8i is mounted midway between the guides and extends the length of approximately I0 inches, sufficiently long to insure complete encirclement of the eggs. The stone is mounted in a carriage 82 which is rapidly reciprocated as, for example, by an eccentric cam 83 driven by the motor 11 and connected to a lug 84 on the carriage 82 by an enclosing strap and link. The amount of movement of the carriage is preferably quite small as, for example, /a inch, but the rate of reciprocation is preferably extremely high, as for example, 2,000 cycles per minute or more. The eggs are caused to rotate while in contact with the scoring stone because of the frictional engagement with the hard rubber guides 80.

Upon complete scoring of the shells, which scoring is designed to cut substantially completely through the shell but not through the membrane of the eggs, the strength of the eggs decreases markedly and it is. therefore, preferred, in order to avoid breakage, to reduce the pressure upon the eggs. guides 85 which retract the platforms 33 by contact with the cam rollers 330. This retraction is only slight, in order not to break the egg, and is accomplished through expansion of the flexible cup from the position 88, indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, to a point intermediate that position and the one indicated in full lines in the same figure. This operation of course increases the vacuum within the cup and in order that this vacuum may not be too great, the vacuum relief valve 42 is set for a predetermined de- Sirable vacuum. This limitation of vacuum is desirable to avoid premature breaking of the egg.

After scoring and separating, the eggs are advanced to the cutting zone 90. an enlarged view of which is illustrated in Fig. 14.

The cutting mechanism consists of a very sharp pointed blade SI directed at an angle of approximately to the horizontal (and substantially perpendicular to the egg) and adapted to out completely through the membrane. The point of blade is so positioned that it will completely sever the membrane on the smallest egg but will not cut the yolk on the largest egg. Puncture of the yolk is avoided by having the knife above the egg, the yolk tending to seek the lower portions of the egg because of its greater specific gravity. The blade is carried in a clamping device 92 which in turn is carried by a link chain 93. The chain is guided within the housing 94 suspended from the shaft 35. The chain 93, after being guided through the housing 8|, is carried upwardly over the wheel 96 through the bath 9!! and then through the bath of chlo- 'rinated water 91. and then over wheels 31a and 98, and returns to the cutting zone. The chain may be driven from the pulley shaft 99 which in turn is driven by a motor I00.

While being cut, the egg is still in contact with the guides 80 and is, therefor, rotating in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 16. The egg membrane, therefore, as shown in Fig. 16, rises against the downwardly directed point of the knife.

Immediately after passing through the cut- This is accomplished by ting zone, the vacuum cups 30 are drawn apart by a cam IOI which separates the egg shells and permits the contents thereof to fall into individual egg cups I02. The guides of course terminate somewhat before the shells are opened so that there is .no tendency for the eggs to be rotated after they have been separated. Thev separated egg shells are carried between the depending air housing I05 provided with a plurality of air jet openings I06 directed horizontally outwardly. The housing is provided with washed compressed air from any suitable source, and this air serves to wash out the remnants of egg white which otherwise might remain within the shells.

The egg cups I02 comprise a yolk retaining section I01 and a pivotally mounted separating section I08. 1 The entire cup is mounted on an arm I09 having a slot IIO which engages the arm I II carried by the chain I I2. This chain is suitably guided within a housing I I3.

Beneath the egg cup is a larger cup I removably mounted within the spring bracket II5. This bracket is carried by the counter-weighted wheel H6 having a depending counter-weight III. The wheel II 6 is carried by the shaft II8 which in turn is secured to the chain H9. The latter is guided within the housing I22.

As will be observed, the cup I02 is adaptedto be opened and closed by movement of the upper portion I 08 and this is accomplished by. entering a cam surface beneath the nose I20 of the arm I2I, Upon raising of the portion I08, the egg white falls into the cups IN, and, upon removal of the cam surface, the cap portion I08 cuts off the flow of egg white. This operation is repeated several times in order to separate the yolk and white. The various positions of the portions of the cup I02 are indicated in Fig. 2.

This .is preferably accomplished by the cam I30 and the cam pin I3I operating through a hollow shaft I32. It will be observed in Fig. 4 that the cam I30 widens as the egg cups progress, causing the portion I08 to rise, after which the cam narrows, causing the top to fall and separate the white. This operation is repeated.

The cam I30 also serves as a cam surface for the roller I38 borne by'the cam follower arm I33 which in turn is secured to the hollow shaft I32 carrying the egg cup. This cam'surface is made use of to tilt the egg cups at the proper point, as shown in Fig. 20. The roller I34 is at this point riding on the cam surface I30 but is directed downwardly by the cam surface I36 through the opening I31 into the position shown by the dotted line in Fig. 19, and then is restored to upright position by the cam surface I38 which carries the roller back up upon the cam I30.

The path of the egg cups, as shown in Fig. 4, is

triangular including the longitudinal leg I40, the transverse leg Ill, and the diagonal leg I102. The tops of the egg cups are open throughout the leg III in order that the yolks may be inspected. In the event that any yolk is spoiled or otherwise unsuitable, the entire cup may be removed and washed by lifting it from the plate II I. The path of the egg receiving cups H0 is show-n in Fig. 2. These cups are held in upright position by the counter-weights I I1 and pass in longitudinal progression to the right of the drawing, then downwardly over the sprocket wheel I50 and over the cam I5I. As shown in Fig. 21 the cam I5I contacts the wheel H6 and rotates it into an egg dumping position so that the egg white falls into the container I52. The last traces of egg white will not of course be completely removed. but this is not necessary so long as the egg material is not spoiled.

The egg shells are removed from the egg cups by the wheels ill! on the shaft iii. These wheels are driven synchronously with the movement of the cups 39 by sprocket wheels I92. The wheels III are provided circumferentially with teeth I63 which engage the eg shells carried by the cups ll immediately adjacent the end of the rubber portion thereof. These teeth exert a pushing motion against the egg shells and serve to break the vacuum, thereby allowing the egg shells to fall into the hopper I84.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by letters Patent, is: I

1. The method of automatically breaking eggs which comprises: advancing a series of eggs disposed in a predetermined spaced relationship and in a predetermined axial alignment, holding each egg by applying suction to its polar ends, carrying each egg while so held in said alignment into a grinding zone, grinding each egg shell circumferentiaily while rotating the egg without severing the egg membrane, exerting an axial tension on the egg shell by slight axial withdrawal of the severed halves of the shell, carrying the egg to a cutting zone, cutting the membrane of the egg, separating egg shells by axial movement of the severed halves and withdrawing the egg contents from the shells.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 in which the membrane of the egg is out while rotating the egg under tension.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 in which the egg is held in axial alignment transverse to its direction of movement.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 in which the suction is produced by forcing out air under grasping pressure and subsequently reducing the grasping pressure.-

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 in which the egg is ground circumferentially while rotating it over a rapidly reciprocating grinding memher.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 in which the axial tension is limited by regulation of the suction.

' 7. The method as set forth in claim 1 in which gated slit in the membrane of the egg exposed bysuch grinding and withdrawing the contents from the shells.

10. In the automatic breaking of eggs the steps v which comprise grinding each egg shell circ'u'mferentially while rotating the egg without severing the egg membrane and then circumferentially slitting the membrane of the egg exposed by such grinding and withdrawing the egg contents from the shell.

GEORGE F. HODBON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,361,121 Weiss Dec. 7, 1920 1,496,312 Harkin June 3, 1924 1,505,484 Mulvany et a1 Aug. 19, 1924 1,635,843 Hofmann July 12, 1927 1,916,596 Winfree July 4, 1933 1,945,788 Pilley Feb. 6, 1934 1,988,030 Young et al. Jan. 15, 1935 2,090,963 Reese Aug. 24, 1937 2,018,044 Weiss Oct. 22, 1935 40 2,067,566 Field Jan. 12, 1937 2,173,278 Kozelka et al. Sept. 19, 1939 2,229,349 Sigler Jan. 21, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,799 Australia (1931) Feb. 18, 1932 747,130 France Mar. 21. 1933 214,873 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1941 

